Got him! That's out!

Summer's here at last...

2010-05-27T09:57:00.002+01:00

...and Irish eyes are smiling as Eoin Morgan is awarded his first Test cap on the back of some stunning T20 and ODI performances.

Good luck England for the summer ahead.

5th ODI England v Australia

2009-09-16T12:23:00.005+01:00

Australia 302 for 6 (Ponting 126, Clarke 52) beat England 299 (Morgan 58) by four wickets

I was rather hoping for rain so we would all be spared yet another tedious, one sided affair but alas no. England won the toss for the 5th match in succession, and again chose to bat. Dimi Mascarenhas came into the side for Luke Wright who injured his foot facing a bowling machine a few days ago. Australia chose to give Brett Lee a breather after his devastating performance in the last game, so what was already likely to be an underwhelming game now had to contend with the absence of the most exciting bowler. Great. Peter Siddle replaced him in the line up.

After what could best be described as a watchful start, England moved through the gears courtesy yet again of Andrew Strauss who was operating at a little under a run a ball as England reached 50 without loss in the 12th over. Once he fell in the 14th over though, LBW to Hauritz for 35 trying the reverse sweep, it would have been fair for the crowd to expect a mini collapse.

That had been the norm up to now in the series anyway, one down quickly becoming three down between the 15th over and the end of the 20th over. This time round Denly and Bopara got England through to the fourth ball of the 20th over when Bopara, for some reason best known to himself, tried to smash Shane Watson over the square leg fence and picked out the fielder. Well done Ravi, a valuable 18 from 21 balls. Just what England needed from their number three batsman. Matt Prior was in next.

Shortly after Engerland reached three figures, the third wicket fell. Denly gone for an entertaining 45 but why, when Strauss and Bopara were already out, he felt it would be a good idea to walk across his stumps and try and whip Mitchell Johnson up in to the on side will forever remain a mystery. I know he’s only new in the side but as an opening bat he should have been looking to stay where he was until the fortieth over at least. If he got out fair enough but shots like that are why England are routinely below par and left with bowlers to score runs during the last powerplay. Three down after 23 overs, so just about running true to form. Prior joined by Shah.

At the 30 over mark these two had both passed twenty at almost a run a ball and England were 149-3. Double the score after 30 overs remember so they were on course for 300, provided Shah didn’t run himself or his partner out and trigger a collapse. He didn’t, but Prior got himself stumped charging down the pitch to Hauritz to end a 60 run partnership. Stupidness again, as he had already hit the previous ball, only the second of the over, for four. Still plenty of batting to come for England though as they took drinks at 165-4. Hauritz completed his ten overs finishing with figures of 2-54.

England took the remarkable step of taking the third powerplay before the 40th over while there were still batsmen at the crease. One over into that Shah wafted his bat outside the off stump and was caught, which brought six hitter extraordinaire Mascarenhas out to face almost fours overs of powerplay. Another English batsman gone meekly between 20 and 40. The powerplay yielded 45 runs for England, but for the loss of two wickets. Mascarenhas out for 19 from 13 giving Johnson his second wicket, Stuart Broad in with 8 overs still to go. At the other end Eoin Morgan was going well with 39 from 29 balls. England 231-6 and the innings could have gone either way at this stage.

Morgan knew which way he was going though, bringing up a fine fifty in the 45th over with a slog sweep six. His third 6, and the fifty up from 37 balls. Stuart Broad joined in the fun with a bright and breezy and hard hitting 22, he as run out by dead eye Ponting with 3 overs to go. Shane Watson through his 10 overs with 2-60. Morgan fell three balls later which meant that two new batsmen would have to face the final two and a bit overs. 58 for Morgan from 41 balls.

Bresnan didn’t last long and the last man Sidebottom was in with an over and a half to go. He assisted Adil Rashid in lifting England up to 299. Eighteen runs from the last over with Rashid run out off the last ball going for the 19th. 299, that’s right, a good total! Despite the annoyance of so many batsmen getting in and set and getting themselves out, the top 9 all scored double figures, three of them 30+ one 40+ and one 50+ so well done England.

They would have been confident of defending that, but so too would Ponting and his men have been confident of chasing it down. And, inevitably, they did. They set off at pace, reaching 45 before the first wicket fell in the 9th over, but the problem with getting one man down in the Australian line up is that it just brings Ricky Ponting to the crease. And the problem with getting the second opener out, as they did in the 15th over with the score on 76, is that it brings Michael Clarke to the crease.

This last night had the result that it was 132 run later before England got their third wicket. Michale Clarke gave it away on 52 minutes after Ponting had reached his hundred. Australia 209-3 so with 91 runs still to get the game wasn't quite in the bag, but these two had got pretty close to it.

Hussey couldn't offer Ponting much support but with the Australian captain in this sort of form the game was surely only heading one way. With ten overs to go the Aussies were 230-4, needing 70 from 60 balls with a batting powerplay still to take.

They took the powerplay in the 44th over needing just 47 to win, but disaster struck for them and hope appeared for England as Broad took two wickets in the over including that of Ponting to leave them reeling with two new batsmen at the crease still needing 39. English hope didn't last long though as a combination of poor bowling and clean hitting saw Australia in the form of Cameron White and Mitchell Johnson canter home with 10 balls to spare. Johnson finished the match with a huge six over long on.

So hats off to Ponting whose hundred was his first in a one day international for 18 months. England's fielding was sloppy and catching poor, with a better display in the field they might have snuck it but credit to Australia for whom Ponting and Clarke set up the game and a perfectly timed powerplay was played out expertly by White and Johnson to recover from the loss of 2 wickets in the first over. In the end the game was never in doubt, England had a sniff at the start of the Australian innings, and when Ponting fell, but those two moments aside Australia were always in control.

Apologies

2009-09-14T09:44:00.009+01:00

Hello and profuse apologies for the fortnight and more of non activity, but with the Ashes over and having no interest whatsoever in the tedious One Day aftershow that is going on, real life took over for a couple of weeks. Back in the swing of things now though and will be back to posting soon so if anyone is still checking in please do bear with me!

Meantime congratulations to Forfarshire who secured promotion to the SNCL Premier Division on Saturday with a 14 run win over Heriots in the play off. Good luck to them for next season.

And commiserations to Murrayfield-DAFS who as result of Kelburne defeating Fauldhouse in the National League play off find themselves relegated from East League Division One. Sure Tom and his troops will bounce back next season.

Lastly for now, another blogger with updating problems due to moving home and lack of internet is still faring better than me. With the cricket season over Left Back in the Changing Room returns to football and for those who follow the beautiful game it's well worth continuing to drop in.

Cricket, the draw and War

2009-08-28T08:48:00.002+01:00

Have a look at Alex Massie here who has posted a wonderfully cerebral comparison between cricket and war.

"Clearly, cricket is not, even when contested between England and Australia (or Pakistan and India) quite a matter of life and death. But the point remains: an outsider looking at cricket for the first time might be advised to try and view an Ashes series as though it was something akin to the great campaigns of the Napoleonic wars."

The full piece makes for excellent reading, although if you're anything like me you may need to read it twice.

Ashes Highlights

2009-08-27T08:34:00.001+01:00

Courtesy of Word Cricket Watch you can now watch highlights of every days play in this years Ashes here.

England Regain The Ashes!! Top 5 Moments...

2009-08-23T21:36:00.007+01:00

23rd August 2009. The date probably won't remain etched into the minds of English cricket lovers in the same way as 12th September 2005 is. There won't be any open top bus tours and MBEs and trips to 10 Downing Street. But England's victory today was perhaps even more remarkable than that of four years ago. In 2005 England went into the final Test at the Oval 2-1 up in the series with an extra batsman in the side to replace Simon Jones and once the toss was won all they had to do was not lose 20 wickets and the Ashes were theirs. It wasn't quite as simple as that of course, these things never were when Shane Warne (12 wickets in the match) was around but the stage had been set up for victory in advance. Not so in 2009.

Outplayed at Cardiff, England held on somehow. At Lord's they finally shook off years of Ashes underachievement at the ground and stunned the Australians with Andrew Strauss's 161 and Jimmy Anderson's 4 wickets setting up a big first innings lead then Swann and Flintoff taking 9 wickets between then to finish things off. Rain and two evenly matched batting sides dictated that the 3rd Test finished a draw, and then England were driven into the ground so emphatically at Headingley as Australia won by an innings and 80 runs that despite the score only being 1-1 with one to play, England were written off. And after day one at the Oval when they lost 8 wickets having won the toss and chosen to bat, they were dead and buried. So how did they manage to win? Here are the five key moments which lead to England's reclaiming of the Ashes, starting with the spell that turned this 5th and final Test on it's head on day two.

1. Stuart Broad's spell after lunch on day two. England win the toss which was job one, then set about scoring the 450 or so they would have wanted which was job two. At the end of day one they had scored 307 runs, which would have been perfect had the wickets column not had an 8 in it. They finished on 332 and unless the bowlers could take ten wickets for under 250, Australia were clear favourites for the match. The Aussie reply stared well, Watson and Katich reaching 73 before Strauss tossed the ball to Stuart Broad. 21 deliveries later he had taken 4-8 including Ponting, Hussey and Clarke and the game was on it's head. Australia were shot out for 160 and England had somehow secured a sizeable first innings lead.

2. Two run outs on the fourth afternoon. Chasing 546 was nigh on impossible on a dusty turning wearing pitch, but with more than two full days to do it, it wasn't a completely impossible task. Less than an hour after lunch Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey were both set, playing well and past 50. Australia were 217-2 and still had Clarke, North, Haddin and Johnson to come before the tail. Then, from nowhere, Michael Hussey decided to tip and run to wide mid on, Ponting ball watched for a fraction of a second too long and Freddie Flintoff, dodgy knee and all, swooped, scooped and unleashed a flat armed rocket at the stumps, knocked the off stump clean out of the ground and the Australian captain was inches short. Then, next man in, vice captain Michael Clarke advanced down the pitch to Swann and leg glanced his fourth ball into short leg's boot, it ricocheted to Strauss at leg slip who threw down the stumps with Clarke millimetres short. Captain and Vice captain, one of the World's greatest and man of the series, gone inside a crazy 10 minutes of cricket. Australia still had a slight chance with Hussey at the crease but these guys going in such quick succession to two brilliant pieces of fielding effectively ended the game as a contest.

3. James Anderson and Monty Panesar at Cardiff. James Anderson lasted 69 minutes and Monty Panesar 37 minutes to steal a draw from the jaws of defeat after being totally outplayed in the opening Test. England began their second innings 229 in arrears and slumped to 46-4 early on the final day having closed day four 20-2. This became 102-5 by lunch and the last rites were being read at tea with the score 169-7. As Paul Collingwood was busy compiling a 245 ball 74, he had company at the other end first from Graeme Swann and them from nightwatchman and blocker extraordinaire James Anderson, but when Collingwood fell with time still to play the game was surely over with only dear old Monty left. But the two of them played the innings of their lives to hang on and secure England the draw.

4. Andrew Strauss's hundred at Lord's. After the great escape at Cardiff England moved onto to Lord's where they traditionally lose heavily to Australia. In fact they hadn't won since 1934 so the odds were against them. Step forward captain Strauss and 161 runs which set up England's first inning's total of 425. Strauss was the only English batsman to score a century and finished with almost twice as many runs than anyone else in his team, and top of the overall run scorers list just ahead of Michael Clarke. Flintoff's 5 wickets on the final morning at Lord's grabbed the headlines but it was Strauss's big hundred followed up by four James Anderson wickets which gave England the platform for victory.

5. Flintoff's Five. Andrew Flintoff's spell on the final morning at Lord's was pure theatre. Forget who he got out, charging in from The Pavilion End all morning unchanged on only one leg he whipped the crowd into such a frenzy and lifted his team mates around him to such a degree that you could have been forgiven for thinking it was Edgbaston 2005. Graeme Swann took 4 wickets and left without the plaudits, Flintoff was awarded man of the match although Strauss and James Anderson would surely have been stronger candidates, but no-one would deny Freddie this moment. It was great to witness what turned out to be his last big Hurrah as although he featured in two of the remaining three matches his impact on the remainder of the series was minimal.

Well done England and well done too Australia. Either side could justifiably have won this series, Australia took more wickets and scored more runs but England won the key sessions and the crucial plays which was the difference between the two sides in the end. Roll on 2010/1011.

Good luck England, meanwhile...

2009-08-21T13:31:00.001+01:00

There won't, as usual, be any blogging done over the weekend so to keep you going please have a look at Alex Massie's review of Christian Ryan's, "Golden Boy: Kim Hughes and the bad old days of Australian cricket."

Also please do check into World Cricket Watch for reviews, analysis and highlights of each day's play at the Test.

Also worth visiting is Simon Barnes in Times who has done a piece about Ian Bell which is enjoyable to read, even though he isn't actually saying anything we don't all already know.

On a more "something for the weekend sir?" note, here are a few tit bits to keep you going. Not safe for work though I'd suggest.

Bikini Cricket pretty much does what it says on the tin, as does Get Them Out, after approximately 25 seconds.

On a similar level, the Daily And Sunday Sport give us Topless Cricket Babes. Howzat indeed.

Have a good weekend all.

Final Test

2009-08-20T19:19:00.001+01:00

After 4 Tests, 16 days play, 4542 runs and 116 wickets England and Australia arrived this morning at the Oval in south east London squared at one game all in the 2009 Ashes. Only a win would do for England in their quest to win back the Ashes, and while a draw would be enough for Ricky Ponting’s men there was no way that they would be playing for anything other than a victory.

Australia named an unchanged side meaning that they would have no frontline spinner, and for England Freddie Flintoff returned at the expense of Graeme Onions to make his 79th and final appearance in a test match, and Jonathan Trott makes his debut coming in for Ravi Bopara. Andrew Strauss won the toss and chose to bat.

England made it to lunch for the loss of just one wicket, Alastair Cook again chasing a wide ball outside of his off stump and edging to Ricky Ponting at second slip. It was 50/50 how the first wicket was going to go, Strauss was either going to be LBW to a Hilfenhaus inswinger or Cook was going to do that. Let’s hope with some prolonged net work after this series he can sort this issue out. Ian Bell came in back at number 3 with the score at 12-1, precisely the sort of situation England did not want him to be in. He made it through to drinks with his captain though pushing the score on to 56-1 at exactly four an over. The second hour of the morning created no real alarms for either batsman, Strauss reached his fifty ten minutes or so before the break and a four from Bell brought up the hundred in the very next over. Well played both of them and England would have been happy to have avoided losing anymore early wickets, while Australia will still have felt that 108-1 could easily become 150-5 with the batting England have to come.

This would have been especially so after Strauss, undoubtedly the key man in this England line up, was gone in the third over after lunch thin edging a low catch through to Haddin off the bowling of Hilfenhaus for 55. Later replays would show that Hilfenhaus has overstepped and that was a clear no ball, but it was too late by then. England 114-2 and the horribly out of form Collingwood MBE came in next batting one place higher than usual at number four. Shane Warne wrote this morning in his Times column that it was about time his old friend Collingwood stepped up to the mark and took on more responsibility in the batting line up so all eyes on him.

Meanwhile Ian Bell MBE was continuing nicely along on his merry way, reaching his fifty after just 73 balls. He wasn’t looking great but then to be fair neither was the bowling. It wasn’t bad, but there was very little in the way of threat for the batsmen, both wickets to fall so far went to bad shots at balls that could and should have been left alone.

Bell and Colly made it safely through to drinks with England 158-2 after 40 overs played. Collingwood fell 15 minutes before tea after nudging, nurdling shovelling and scooping his way to a typically ugly 24. There were some nice shots in there to be fair, but he’s just not nice to watch. He too was caught in the corden driving, this time a thick edge to Hussey at gully from the bowling of Siddle. 176-3 and debutant Trott in next. He faced 11 balls before getting off the mark with a clip through midwicket for two in the final over before tea and England finished the second session 180-3. Just 53 overs were bowled by the tea break so the final session would be slightly extended, weather permitting, to reach the full 90.

Ian Bell’s attractive knock came to an end before he reached three figures. How often has that been said? Played a Siddle delivery onto his stumps for 72 in the first over after tea and a sense of déjà vu and here we go again descended over the Brit Oval as long suffering England fans sensed that capitulation for less than 250 was on the cards. Matt Prior in at number six though so all was not lost yet and the 200 came up in the 60th over.

Unfortunately Prior couldn’t hang around too long. Thirty three balls for 18 runs before he spooned a Mitchell Johnson slower ball to point to have England 229-5. Johnson had struggled a little up until this point going at five an over although he was looking dangerous with the short ball. A wicket will have done his confidence wonders. Freddie Flintoff arrived at the crease to a standing ovation from the crowd with 25 overs left in the day.

The great triumphant hero, saviour of English cricket and talisman that England simply cannot cope without lasted nineteen balls and scored 7 before he flashed needlessly at a wide ball from Johnson and edged through to Haddin. Colossal stuff. Six down for less than 250 and Stuart Broad came in to bat at number 8 with twenty overs play remaining.

Jonathan Trott’s debut innings was ended in unfortunate but brilliant fashion by Katich. A maiden fifty looked a certainty until on 41 he clipped the ball off his legs, Katich made a sharp save and as Trott fell forward following through with the shot he threw down stumps with a direct hit and Trott was gone. Bad luck but brilliant stuff from the close fielder. A good start to Test match cricket for Trott through he looked composed and comfortable. England stumbled across the 300 run line with 5 minutes or so to go before stumps, but then lost their 8th wicket from the final ball of the day. The impressive Peter Siddle accounting for Swann as he pushed forward and edged through to Haddin.

At close then England 307-8 which having won the toss and batted represents a poor return for the day. 307 runs is perfectly acceptable and if they were 4 down they would be very happy, but at 8 down they will struggle to reach 350 when 450 would have been their minimum target. Too many lazy wafts outside off stump doing the damage. Of the 8 wickets to fall 3 were caught by the wicketkeeper, 1 in the slips, 1 at gully and 1 dragged onto the stumps reaching for a ball wide of off stump. If Australia had won the toss and batted 600 would have been their target so England should be disappointed and should not believe that 350 represents a decent score. Australia have taken charge of this game and it will take a fine bowling performance to pull England back. Thank goodness we have Freddie.

A Remarkable Series

2009-08-18T19:41:00.003+01:00

Nine years ago today at Headingley, England completed a victory inside 2 days to take a 2-1 lead over the West Indies with one Test to play in a remarkable series.

England had been swept away by an innings and inside 3 days in the first Test at Edgbaston, chief destroyer Courtney Walsh who took 5 first innings wickets and 3 in the second including 3 of the top 4 in both innings. Fifties from Sherwin Campbell and Brian Lara and 98 from captain Jimmy Adams was enough to ensure that the tourists only needed to bat once.

Lord's hosted the second Test and this must surely rank as one of the most exciting Test matches ever played. The West Indians finished day one on 267-9 and they were all out on first ball of day two when Caddick trapped Walsh LBW. England were then reduced to 58-5 at lunch and 100-8 at tea eventually limping to just 134 with Ambrose and Walsh sharing 8 wickets. England were looking at yet another Lord's defeat but Gough and Caddick had other ideas and with help from Dominic Cork skittled the shell shocked tourists out for 54. Andy Caddick's figures were 13 overs 8 maidens 5 wickets for 16 runs and suddenly England had 3 days to score only 188 to win. This they did, but only just. Atherton and Vaughan both passed 40 and Cork added 33 runs to his 7 match wickets but Mr Walsh was rampant in taking six wickets and almost pulling off a unbelievable win. 10 in the match for him but England just snuck home to square the series.

The third match was number 100 for messers Atherton and Stewart and fierce royalist Stewart celebrated by scoring a hundred in his hundredth Test on the day of the Queen Mothers 100th birthday. What are the odds? 100-1 probably. This gave England a decent lead having dismissed the Windies for just 157, but a Brian Charles Lara century and some Manchester rain saw the match peter out into a draw.

So onto Headingley went the teams for the fourth Test with the series all square, 1 thumping win each and a drawn match which neither side dominated meaning that it was anyone's guess which way this series would swing next. It didn't take long for that question to be answered though as 3 wickets from Darren Gough and 5 for his Yorkshire colleague Craig White had the West Indians all out for 172 in less than 50 overs. England than batted for less than a full days worth of play in compiling 272, Michael Vaughan top scoring with 76 and another 8 wickets for Walsh and Ambrose. So midway through day two West Indies began their second innings 100 runs behind, and would realistically have been hoping to bat for at least a day and a half and have runs from Lara and Adams to get then up to maybe 300, 350+ ideally but that was unlikely, then let Walsh and Ambrose loose. They didn't reckon on Darren Gough though. Everybody will remember Caddick's 5 wickets, 4 of them in the same over and 4 of them clean bowled with late swing which made for brilliant viewing which was the icing, but may not remember that it was numbers 7-11 he removed when the Windies were already 52-5. Gough knocked over each of the top 4 and had them 21-4 after which the game was over. Michael Vaughan was inexplicably awarded the man of the match award for his 76 just proving that it is indeed a batsman's game. Gough got both openers in the first innings and all of the top four in the second innings and should have been a shoo in for the award. He was at least given man of the series later on.

The fifth and final Test, at the Oval, was won by England, again comfortably in the end, but this one did at least last the full 5 days. A 159 opening partnership between Athers and new boy Marcus Trescothick set England on their way to a decent total, but in typically English fashion this start only amounted to a total of 281. Craig White claimed his second 5 for in as many Tests as the West Indians capitulated again only just scraping past the 50 over mark in making 125. Atherton followed his 1st innings 83 with a 108 to secure man of the match status, then Caddick and Gough continued their form sharing 7 wickets and sending England to victory by 158 runs and with it the series 3-1 and the Wisden Trophy was theirs for the first time in 31 years.

The summer of 2000 saw English cricket on a high for the first time in almost a generation. With Hussain and Fletcher at the helm and central contracts in place, the blend of experience in the batting with Atherton, Stewart, Hussain and Thorpe complementing the youth of Trescothick and Vaughan (wouldn't we hear more about them in years to come) combined with the all round ability of Dominic Cork and Craig White and England's finest fast bowling pair in decades in Gough and Caddick England had a team to be reckoned with.

Nobody knew it at the time, but this series win was the first step on the road to eventual 2005 Ashes success, as England took on all comers home and away over the next 5 years pulling themselves out of the doldrums of the 1990's and rising to officially be recognised as the second best team in the World behind the mighty Australians. Vaughan and Fletcher rightly took much of the credit for that post Ashes, but the contribution of Nasser Hussain should not be understated, and likewise his predecessor Michael Atherton who firstly and most vehemently championed the case for central contracts which allowed this group of players to gel and feel unified under Team England. This summer was the summer that the feel good factor came back into English cricket. Lets hope that 9 years later, on 24th August back at the Oval as we say goodbye to this cricketing decade, that we don't see that bubble burst and a return to the dark old days of the nineties.

There's Something About Mitchell

2009-08-12T23:12:00.004+01:00

Having broken Graeme Smith's hand at the SCG in January 2009, Mitchell Johnson then knocked the stuffing out of the South Africans in their own back yard during the return leg, in particular during his Durban Demolition where figures of 3-37 didn't tell the full story. He had taken 8 wickets in the first match and at Durban took two in his first over and then had Smith retired hurt with a broken hand again and split Jacques Kallis's chin before getting him out. He had announced himself as Australia's "enforcer" with 33 South African wickets over 6 Tests home and away.

Two Tests into the Ashes Series though and he was hopeless. Couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo. Geoffrey Boycott's moom could bowl better. He was lost and lonely, mind elsewhere because mummy wasn't talking to him and wasn't worth a pinch of all the pre series hype. That was the end of him, never mind what he had done against the second best team in the World in Australia and in South Africa, he hadn't bowled well in two Tests against England so get him out. Figures of 8-331 didn't help disprove that argument to be fair. Back home people were calling for his head. In March Peter Roebuck called him the best bowler in the game, in July Allan Border and many others wanted him out. But Ricky Ponting stuck with his young quick.

There were no arguments from the Australian camp that their main man was struggling, but those closest to him insisted it was confidence and nothing more serious that was causing his problems. Adjusting to the Dukes ball and English conditions was hard, it's been hard for others before and will be hard for others in years to come. But despite all the wayward stuff at Cardiff and at Lords, where many a first time visitor has come unstuck by the slope let's not forget, his figures aren't as bad as you might think. He took as many wickets in the opening Test as Hilfenhaus did, and he was being hailed as the great success story. And none of his wickets were "gimmes" only Stuart Broad counted as a non batsmen and he is far from a tail ender. His second innings figures were 2-44 from 22 overs. Not bad in anyone's book. He took 3 at Lords, expensively, granted, but Cook and Prior were amongst them. Two at Edgbaston where he reverted to bowling first change where all his success had come in Australia, and signs were clear to all that he was finding his feet again and the aggression so palpably absent early in the series had come back into his bowling. Stuart Broad chirped back at him as the pair had some fun late in England's innings, but I know who I'd back in that dogfight.

Sure enough come Headingley, again bowling first change, he took 5 in the second innings, including 3-1 in the last hour of the 2nd day to officially end the game as a contest. This was the display of a bowler who was clearly coming to terms with English conditions and regaining his confidence. He bowled short, nasty stuff that got England's "batsmen" - I use the term loosely - hopping about and on the back foot all ready to be undone by his late swing or fending off short balls to slip.

None other than Dennis Lillee described a 17 year old Johnson as a "once in a generation bowler" and fast tracked him into the Academy. That sort of praise doesn't fall from that high without merit. The last Australian cricketer to receive such public adulation so early was Ricky Ponting, and that story tells itself. Not that I am suggesting that Mitchell Johnson will be as good a bowler as Ricky Ponting is a batsman, but 110 wickets at under 30 from his first 25 Tests is a pretty decent return. Extrapolate that over a career, account for injury and loss of form along the way, add in a champagne season and another series or two like he has against the South Africans and you've got a guy with 300+ Test wickets.

Johnson now finds himself with one Test match to be played just 2 behind Hilfenhaus in the listings for the leading wicket takers of the series. Never mind the economy rates, a bowler like Johnson is in the side to take wickets and rattle the opposition batsmen so they relax and make mistakes when the guy at the other end comes. He's in it, and barring injury or a sustained period of poor form, not two bad matches, will be in for quite some time to come, because there is something about him. He has the much sought after "X-Factor" that captains will always go for ahead of a line and length banker. God only knows England persisted with, and have since recalled, Steve Harmison for that very reason.

Mitchell Johnson will arrive at The Oval for the 5th and final Test of the summer a man full of confidence, he may even claim the new ball back from Peter Siddle, and should pick up where he left off in Leeds and give England's top five or six, whoever they might be, a serious working over. This tour has become a journey of self discovery and self improvement for Mitchell Johnson. A loss of form is a rite of passage for any Test match cricketer, whether he be batsman or bowler, and it's the way that you deal with that first loss of form that separates those who play at the highest level for a year or two, from those who play for decade. Whether he overtakes Hilfenhaus as the top wicket taker in the series or not is largely irrelevant. If Mitchell Johnson ends the coming Test match having bowled as well as Dennis Lillee backed him to all those years ago, as well as Ricky Ponting, Tim Nielsen and all those around him know he can, as aggressively as Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis will testify that he can, and in the process show himself and the baying English public that he was not a one year wonder but a genuine Test class fast bowler, then only lifting that little urn will give Australian cricket more satisfaction.

Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew...

2009-08-11T13:48:00.005+01:00

More acerbic stuff from Michael Henderson at the Daily Telegraph.

"Bopara, Bell and Collingwood at Nos 3, 4 and 5 does not inspire the same confidence as, say, Cowdrey, Dexter, and Barrington. Or Vaughan, Hussain and Thorpe. Or Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb"

See this and more over at The Guardian's weekly cricket blog run by Lawrence Booth - The Spin

England Team Ratings

2009-08-09T15:04:00.003+01:00

X- Rated stuff from the majority of the team in this Test Match. Apart from the morning session of day 3 England were totally, utterly, comprehensively outgunned and humiliated by a rampant Australian side.

Andrew Strauss - had a terrible start to the match through no fault of his own and all the pre match goings on must have been playing on his mind when he went out to bat. You'd expect them to. Should have been out first ball and didn't last much longer. 32 in the second innings saved face for him personally but needed and would have wanted a big score to settle his side. He was the one man you felt could do it but he didn't deliver. Did he call right after winning the toss? 102 all out having chosen to bat would suggest not but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
5 out of 10.

Alastair Cook - Scored 30 in both innings and was solid if not spectacular. You never felt like he would score a hundred second time around, 30 in each innings is okay but you want more from your opener really. Hard to criticise too much though given the state of the rest of the scorecard. 7 out of 10

Ravi Bopara - Hard to think of anything positive to say about a man who faced a total of seven deliveries in the match and contributed just one run. He held onto two catches, neither particularly difficult, and looked lost and distant in the field. Back you go to Essex Ravi.
2 out of 10

Ian Bell - As usual, looked very nice at the crease and played some lovely textbook shots for the photographers, but hasn't got the fight for the situation England found themselves in. 11 runs in the match, one catch.
3 out of 10.

Paul Collingwood - Didn't turn up. Plain and simple. Zero and four.
2 out of 10.

Matt Prior - Almost didn't make it but put his early injury to one side and had a decent display behind the stumps although there was still the usual untidiness. With 37 not out and 22 he looked the only batsman truly in form.
7 out of 10.

Stuart Broad - England's man of the match. Six wickets including those of Ponting and Hussey. His next four came when Australia were clear ahead and could have declared so were swinging from the hip and are thus cheapened slightly, but six wickets is six wickets and a wonderful counter attacking 61 from 48 balls on the last morning gave the fans plenty of cheer for an hour and a half.
9 out of 10.

Graeme Swann - Bowled 16 overs of nonthreatening off spin. Never really looked like getting a wicket but didn't bowl badly. 62 entertaining runs and a hundred plus partnership with Broad on the final morning.
7 out of 10.

James Anderson - Didn't happen for him with the ball this time around. Was dismissed to the point boundary by the hulk like Shane Watson from the first two balls of the Australian innings and that set the tone for the rest. Too much short stuff not allowing the ball the chance to swing. Still my man of the series though and one poor showing can be forgiven. Fielded well as always.
5 out of 10

Steve Harmison - Bowled 2 wicket taking balls in 23 overs, the rest was average stuff as we have come to expect.
4 out of 10.

Graeme Onions - Hard to say anything bad, although bowling short to the best puller of a cricket ball in the World was a tad foolish. Wasn't bad, wasn't great, got a pair with the bat.
5 out of 10.

Daily Telegraph attacking the short ball

2009-08-09T14:55:00.004+01:00

Thanks to Mr. Eugenides for bringing this to my attention. Harsh words indeed from Michael Henderson at the Daily Telegraph.

"Their bowling, until Graham Onions and Stuart Broad clawed back a bit of ground after tea, was abysmal. It should surprise nobody that the worst offender was Steve Harmison, who Ponting dismissed as a duke might dismiss a guttersnipe. Even Harmison must know by now that the Australia captain is one of the finest pullers the game has known. Surely he was watching in the morning when Stuart Clark, running in from the Kirkstall Lane End that he favoured later, reaped a significant reward by pitching the ball up. Yet here he was – again – serving up unspeakable filth. Tripe and Onions, you might say: a most unappetising dish from the land of the Prince-Bishops. Here he was – again – standing in the middle of the pitch, looking aggrieved, as he found out – again – that good batsmen tend to cart short-pitched balls to the pickets. He was not alone. James Anderson had a poor day, and it took Onions some time to thicken the sauce, but Harmison's indulgence beggared belief – again. Matt Prior wasn't the only man to suffer a bad back on Friday. Many an England captain has done himself an injury, bending over backwards to accommodate Harmison, and as of today Andrew Strauss can wear the club tie with pride. But what did people expect of this wastrel? His record as a fast bowler who is reluctant to exploit his talents is not exactly a mystery."

Say what you think why don't you? Can't deny though, the man has a point.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/theashes/5991501/The-Ashes-Steve-Harmison-comes-up-short-as-Australia-punish-England.html

4th Test Day One

2009-08-07T13:40:00.005+01:00

Hmm, England 102 all out at 2.30pm on day one. Perhaps Sesame Street was the wrong choice.

Phew, here we go again it feels like there’s been no respite this summer. No wonder Freddie is knackered and the early breaking news today was that he would be ruled out and indeed that was confirmed at around 9.30am. There was another injury scare during the warm up when Matt Prior was thought to have done himself a mischief playing football, but after panic and chaos and requests to delay the toss and wicketkeepers up and down the country frantically checking their phones, Prior was passed fit to play. It was some morning for England which had been going on for sme time after being evacuated from their team hotel due to a fire alarm at 5am. News at the toss was that Harmison was in for Flintoff, for Australia Stuart Clark replaced Nathan Hauritz, Strauss won and chose to bat.

And what a mistake that was! Were it not for Billy Bowden, Strauss would have been out first ball to an inswinger which was cleaning out middle stump but not out was the reply. The Australians weren’t made to pay for the let off though as Strauss walking back to changing room in the 4th over, Marcus North holding onto a screamer in the slips one handed high above his head. England 11-1 and the skipper gone for 3 with Bopara in next and in desperate need of a score. He lasted all of 6 balls before trying to drive a lifting ball and putting it straight into the hands of gully. Shocking shot and if he is still in the team come the Oval it will be a minor miracle. Shane Warne said before the series started that he wasn’t up to it and yet again the master was right. 16-2 and Bopara out for 1. Ian Bell next.

He made all of 8 before Johnson bounced him out and England were 39-3. His replacement at the crease Paul Collingwood didn’t manage to trouble the scorers lasting 5 balls for nought, edging to Ponting at 2nd slip off the bowling of Clark meaning each of Australia’s seamers now had one wicket and England were reeling at 42-4.

42-4 became 63-5 when Cook, having watched the carnage unfold whilst compiling 30 became Stuart Clark’s second wicket edging to Clarke at 1st slip. All sorts of bother now with the last recognised batsman prior already in meaning Stuart Broad, batting a place higher than normal due to Flintoff’s absence, was on his way to the middle in the 23rd over of the day. Jesus wept, 67-5 and 8 minutes to lunch. But that was at least one minute too many as in th e25th over with 2 balls to the break Broad clipped Clark to Katich at short square leg for 3, England 72-6 at the break.

And Swann made only a flying visit to the crease lasting 15 balls for the second duck of the innings. 92-7 Harmison came to bat next, at least a day and half earlier than he or anyone connected with England would have liked but he didn’t hang around either going for duck number 3 of the innings tickling a Siddle delivery down the leg side to Haddin. Blimey. James Anderson was in next having not had a duck in 52 Test innings and that became 53 but he was out for 1 fending a Siddle delivery off his face which left Onions as the last man and he was out first ball gloving, or forearming anyway, another brute of a bouncer from Siddle. 5 wickets for Siddle and England all out by half past 2 in the afternoon for 102. That they got more than 100 was down to Cook and Prior who both had 30s and extras contributed 17. Nobody else got into double figures and in fact only one other batsman scored more than 3. A truly marvellous effort!

Sesame Street

2009-08-03T23:35:00.006+01:00

Alastair Cook's increasingly ridiculous hair has left me pondering of late who he reminds me of. It had been bugging me for ages, but watching yet another repeat of Friends this evening Phoebe mentioned Sesame Street and the light went on. Once I'd satisfied myself that Bert was indeed Cookie's puppet double, it occurred to me that there were few more of England's current side who resemble a TV puppet. So, borrowing the theme from Beer and Sport's crap lookalikes postings and leaving some considerable room for artistic licence, we also have...

Strauss and Ernie...

2009-08-03T23:28:00.003+01:00

Ian Bell and Elmo...

2009-08-03T23:27:00.004+01:00

Paul Collingwood and Oscar the Grouch...

2009-08-03T23:25:00.003+01:00

Matt Prior and Barkley the Dog...

2009-08-03T23:20:00.002+01:00

Freddie Flintoff and Big Bird...

2009-08-03T23:18:00.002+01:00

Stuart Broad and Prairie Dawn...

2009-08-03T23:16:00.003+01:00

Graeme Swann and The Cookie Monster...

2009-08-03T23:12:00.003+01:00

Onions and Grover...

2009-08-03T23:10:00.003+01:00

Day Two - Tea

2009-07-31T12:20:00.005+01:00

Day one, all 30 overs of it, belonged to Australia and they began day two on 126-1, with Shane Watson in his new role on 62 and Ricky Ponting on 17, just 8 shy of Allan Border’s all time Australian run record. With more rain forecast for the weekend today would be crucial in deciding how this test would finish.

First ball! Graeme Onions first ball of the day caught Watson sleeping as it nipped back, he was late on it and it cannoned into his pads, plum LBW. 62 from 106 balls, great effort yesterday but no more from him today. Hussey out to join his skipper, and he goes first ball!! Two in two balls from Onions what a start!! Clean bowled leaving a straight ball. Stupid boy, as Captain Mainwaring would say. Wow. Vice captain and Lord’s centurion in next and just about survived the hat trick ball, he did his best to glove it through to Prior chasing a bouncer.

Phew. First ball of the 4th over of the day, once things had just about calmed down, Ponting reached 25 with a flick past short leg for 2, and thus moved ahead of Allan Border to 11,175 Test runs. A great moment for him, the record brought up in 22 matched fewer than AB, and leaving Ponting behind only Lara and Tendulkar in the all time list. Some player.

But no match for Onions today! After a not entirely convincing 38, Onions bagged the captain. A quick bouncer which Ponting hooked but only succeeded in top edging it through to Prior. Marcus North next through the revolving dressing room door. He made it through to drinks with Clarke and after the first hour England, in particular Onions, had had taken 3-42 from the 12 overs bowled.

A dropped catch from Flintoff at 2nd slip in the 17th over denied Onions his 4th wicket of the morning and gave Clarke a huge let off. Very straight forward chance, Flintoff like Watson earlier was asleep, and how costly would that be?

Ten runs was the answer to that, Anderson replaced Onions after the drop and didn’t’ waste much time at all in getting the ball to swing and trapped Clarke in front with a big in ducker. Clarke gone for 29 and the debutant Manou came in with Australia 193-5. Hawkeye suggested the ball had done too much and would have carried on down and missed leg stump.

Six down with ten minutes to go until lunch, 5 wickets for England this morning for the addition of less than 8 runs. Marcus North this time the victim of a fantastic catch from Prior. Thick outside edge from an Anderson away swinger, and Prior had to dive across in front of first slip to take it. Australia 202-6 with 250 looking a long way off and as I was writing Johnson came and went for the second Golden Duck of Australia’s innings. LBW Anderson and now it was his turn to bowl a hat trick ball. Hauritz to face it, and he survived.

Two balls before the lunch break, Manou is cleaned up by a beauty from Anderson. Off stump back bowled from wider it straightened and the Aussies are reeling. 203-8, England 7-77 in the session. Enjoy lunch boys!

Peter Siddle was the new batsman after lunch, and after half an hour he became Anderson’s 5th wicket of the innings outside edging to Prior for 13. 229-9. Some late order biffing from Hilfenhaus and Hauritz, who each finished on 20, and a dropped dolly by Bopara, got Australia up beyond 250 and on to 263 before Onions finished the innings with his 4th wicket, Hilfenhaus caught by Swann in the gulley.

In reply England got off to an equally poor start, losing Cook in the second over caught Manou bowled Siddle for nought. 2-1 and England’s daunting middle order were exposed. No further alarms though as Strauss and Bopara comfortably guided England through to tea where they were 56-1 with Strauss on 33 and Bopara on 23, both batsmen having faced 52 balls and hit 4 fours.

3rd Test Day One

2009-07-30T13:01:00.022+01:00

After a much needed break to recharge some batteries after the drama of the opening two Tests, The Ashes was due to resume this morning at Edgbaston, scene of England’s famous 2 run victory in the 2nd test of 2005.

Leading up to the game the early news was that Kevin Pietersen would play no further part in the series and he would be replaced at number four by local boy Ian Bell. The weather then dominated the headlines with head Groundsman Steve Rouse saying that following monsoon like conditions the pitch was going to be behind schedule and like jelly. The two captains traded opinions on auras, Strauss firing the first shot by saying that Australia had lost theirs with the retirement of McGrath, Warne, Hayden and Gilchrist. Fairly bleedin’ obvious really. Ponting shot back saying that England didn’t have one either. Ooooh… Handbags away gentlemen. On the morning of the match, team news from the Australian camp, and on Twitter, was that Philip Hughes was dropped in favour of Shane Watson.

No play possible in the morning session, with pitch reports at 11am and 12 noon leading to nothing but a further inspection at 2pm. Not much better news at 2 o'clock. It's stopped raining and the covers are coming off, but no chance of play any time soon. Here's a limerick to keep you going...

There once was a man named Flintoff,
who when in Mumbai took his shirt off.
After shedding his fat,
to add to swinging his bat,
he was able to knock batsmen's heads off.

Shortly after half past 3 the captains appeared on a sodden outfield and at quarter to four it was announced that there would be another inspection at 4.15pm and assuming all was well with that, play would begin at 5 o’clock.

Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat, teams were announced as expected, and weather permitting play would go on until 7.30pm. Watson and Katich to open with late news that Brad Haddin broke his finger after the toss and is out of the Test to be replaced by Graham Manou. Not quite an Edgbaston injury of Glenn McGrath proportions, but England will take it. Interestingly, it was Haddin who rolled the ball McGrath stood on in 2005. Well well.

Anderson and Flintoff to share the new ball. It was a steady start, 33 on the board after 10 overs although both batsmen had thumped a couple of fours each. The first bowling change came after 12 overs when Onions replaced Anderson and the fifty partnership followed 2 balls later. 26 Katich, 24 to Watson and both men unfurling some cracking shots. 50 became 62 at drinks, as Broad replaced Flintoff and followed Onions in conceding 8 from his first over. Plenty for Strauss to ponder, 11 fours hit from 14 overs.

Ponder he did as Katich and Watson continued at 6 an over until Swann appeared and got Katich LBW. Fantastic opening partnership, 85-1 and Watto still in on 37, about 10 times his average as an opening bat in 1st class cricket so far. Ponting in next needing just 25 to overhaul AB as the leading Australian runscorer of all time.

On his way to that landmark Ricky passed 20,000 first class runs and less than a handfull of runs later Watson had 50. The 30 over mark arrived soon after with Australia 126-1. More play than anyone had expected, and more runs than the English would have liked. The weather forecast still favours a draw, but batting first and with some quick runs on the board, the old enemy are in front thus far.

Early Team News

2009-07-30T08:39:00.004+01:00

Blaise Murphet reports from worldcricketwatch that the news in Australia is that Philip Hughes is likely to be dropped in favour of Shane Watson, giving the Australians an extra bowling option should Johnson continue to struggle and Siddle continue to be ineffective. More here.

Cricinfo indeed are confirming that Hughes makes way for Watson.

3rd Test - Edgbaston

2009-07-29T18:23:00.000+01:00

Well, tomorrow the Ashes train rolls on to Edgbaston, scene of the famous 2005 victory and traditionally a happy hunting ground for the English team.

Bell replaces the injured Pietersen and is expected to fit straight in at number 4 as a like for like replacement, which makes perfect sense. Panesar has been sent back to county cricket and Flintoff has been passed fit so Bell aside England should be naming an unchaged team. It would, after all, seem more than mildly ridulculous to bring Harmison in to play on a pitch which resembles jelly.

With this in mind it would seem unlikely that Johnson's woes will come to a halt in Birmingham, as it looks as though he has escaped the axe for one more Test, even though Stuart Clark would surely be a better option on a pitch so damp. Siddle may yet give way if they do go for Clark, although there has been no sugestion from the Australian camp that there will be any changes.

I will be reporting once again for worldcricketwatch on days one and two so please check in and see what happened. Although as things stand after rain, rain and more rain it looks unlikely that there will be much for me to report on.

Friends Provident Trophy Final

2009-07-24T08:43:00.017+01:00

Tomorrow sees the final of the 2009 Friends Provident Trophy, between South coast neighbours and rivals Hampshire and Sussex. It has been the premier English domestic one day competition since 1963 , and this is third time the final has been under the Friends Provident banner. It began life as the 60 over a side Gillette Cup (65 in it's inaugural year) and Sussex were crowned champions in years one and two. Hampshire had to wait until 1991 for their first win, by which time NatWest had taken over the sponsorship. During NatWest's twenty year association with the competition both sides won it once with Sussex also finishing once as runners up. In recent times, under Cheltenham & Gloucester's charge and now a 50 over showpiece, both sides have picked up one more win each and Hampshire were losing finalists in the first year as the Friends Provident, in 2007. Should Sussex win tomorrow, in their 10th appearance, they would become the first side to lift the trophy in all four guises and move up to second in the all time list with six wins, behind the current pace setters Lancashire.

Route to the Final

Hampshire topped qualifying Group A, winning 5 out of 8 games, thus securing a home quarter final draw where they faced the runners up of Group B, Middlesex.

Batting first Hants posted an imposing total of 310, for the loss of just 4 wickets. Former Yorkshire batsman Michael Lumb scored a better than a run ball hundred, Jimmy Adams 76 from 77 and young England prospect Liam Dawson adding some late sparkle with 51 from 37.

Middlesex had a chance of chasing it down at 207-3 , but lost their last 7 wickets for 81 runs as the rate increased, with only Neil Dexter passing fifty. Billy Taylor was the pick of the bowlers with 3-44.

Sussex finished second in Group C, winning 4 out of 8, and faced Group B winners Somerset.

Somerset scored 285 as the Sussex bowlers struggled, but runs from Ed Joyce (74) Murray Goodwin (93) captain Michael Yardy (57*) saw Sussex home with 5 balls to spare.

In the semi finals Hampshire faced Lancashire, the tournament's most successful side with 8 wins from 11 finals, at Old Trafford while Sussex hosted Gloucestershire.

Hampshire were again indebted to Michael Lumb and Jimmy Adams who both passed 70 as they notched up 271 all out in the 49th over. Lancashire would have gone into reply as strong favourites, but as it was only VVS passed the fifty mark. Skipper Mascarenhas, paceman Chris Tremlett and all rounder Sean Irvine took two wickers each and leg spinner Imran Tahir took 3 as Lancashire limped disappointingly to 207 all out.

Down by the seaside Sussex hammered 326 off the Gloucester attack, Ed Joyce and Murray Goodwin again the stars with 146 and 60 respectively. Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman hit a century in reply, but in vain as his side fell short at 292 all out.

So, going into the final it seems the batsmen are key. The Hampshire side will be hoping their opening pair of Lumb and Adams can continue their form and that their long middle order can all contribute.

Sussex too have batting a plenty, Ed Joyce and Murray Goodwin the key men, Matt Prior may play although if he did it would be a terrible shame on Andy Hodd, who for my money is the best young keeper batsman in the land. Luke Wright and Michael Yardy too will hope to shine on the big stage.

There are no "stand out" bowlers as such, both sides are packed with options but none that will tear through a batting side. My tip for man of the match, a certain Dominic Cork, may disagree with that statement, but the 28,000 or so crowd will hope for sunshine and runs a plenty.

One "person" who will not be present in the Lord's crowd will be Sussex's mascot Sid the Shark who is not allowed in due to Lord's fancy dress ban. Sussex are up in arms about this and even have a petition on their website to fight the ban. I have some sympathy, it does seem rather over the top to extend the ban to the team mascot, but presumably the Hampshire mascot Harry the Hawk has fallen victim of the same ban, and you don't see him getting in a flap about it. I have nothing against Sussex, but they have never been a team I've been able to warm to and 18 years worth of childhood holidays next door in Bournemouth, Dorset, have me nailing my colours firmly to the Hampshire mast for the day.

Best of luck to both teams though, and fingers crossed for decent weather.

Reaction from Down Under

2009-07-22T08:47:00.004+01:00

More than a hint of sarcasm in this post from the Beer and Sport blog. He makes a fair point I have to say, the post match hysteria has been typically way over the top. Let's not forget Strauss and Cook setting things up on day one, Jimmy's 4 wickets on the second day, Prior pushing for runs on day three and Swann's 4 wickets in the second innings including the key scalp of Michael Clarke. I felt for Anderson last night when during yesterdays golf day he found a Sky microphone in his face asking his him just how good Freddie was. He would have been rightly entitled to be thinking, "Eh hello? What about me?"

Australian Blog

2009-07-21T12:34:00.003+01:00

Just as I am looking at the events of the Ashes summer, I direct you to an enjoyable and in depth blog from down under which is also doing just that, albeit in far more detail than I could hope to manage.

It's excellent stuff and well worth a regular look as the series rolls on, and indeed beyond.

http://thebaggygreen.blogspot.com/

Day 5

2009-07-20T08:42:00.003+01:00

Oooh, interesting stuff. If Australia, in the form of Clarke, Haddin and Johnson most likely, manage to pull off a stunning win today or at worst hold out for a draw, sports writers and commentators the length and breadth of the country will no doubt lambast Andrew Strauss for not enforcing the follow on. The Sky Sports commentary team made no secret of their thoughts on the decision anyway. However, there may have been good reason why Strauss was reluctant to ask the Australians to bat again. Alex Massie explains why here.

Bumble

2009-07-19T10:11:00.002+01:00

Despite being away for the weekend it would be remiss of me not not to share this collection of Bumbleisms having stumbled across them.

What a character.

You can follow him Twittering or Tweeting or whatever it may be here on; http://twitter.com/BumbleCricket

He was in fine fettle in his commentary position yesterday, as he may have been all series to be fair, but yesterday was the first chance I have had to sit down and watch a whole days play uninterrupted. For me the highlights were; Suggesting to Warne that on his turn in the 3rd Man hotseat he produce a 19 way split screen of Atherton being dismissed by McGrath, moments after yesterdays 3rd Man, Athers of course, chose to remind Warne of his drop at the Oval in 2005 which allowed Pietersen to score 158 and secure the Ashes.

And on the toing and froing of the 12th man late in the day when light was fading and England were motoring with a declaration in mind, "Freddie's just said to the 12th man, 'send reinforcements, we're going to advance. And you know by the time it's reached Strauss in the changing room the message from the middle probably said 'send 3 and 4 pence we're going to a dance'.

Some man. Will do a proper post on him in due course but for now a reminder of the night someone stole his lawnmower will have to suffice.

I'm sure that if only he'd caught 'em, he'd have flippin murdered 'em...

Something for the Weekend

2009-07-17T22:06:00.002+01:00

I'm off to Edinburgh first thing tomorrow morning so there will be no more blogging until next week.

The rest of the team at World Cricket Watch will report on days 3, 4 and 5 of the Test.

I'll leave you with a look at a more glamorous contest of this Ashes summer, the battle of the WAGS.

Kevin Pietersen and Michael Clarke lead the way for the batting side, with Jessica Taylor and Lara Bingle on their respective arms.

For the bowlers it's a straight contest between Mrs. James Anderson and Mitchell Johnson's beau, Jessica Bratich.

Queen amongst them though has to be the First Lady of English Cricket, Mrs. Rachael Flintoff.

Phew, stirring stuff.

Finally, if that isn't enough to keep you going, you can read more about Flintoff courtesy of Rob Marrs who, in a statisticians dream, has had a look at Andrew Flintoff in comparison to other top all rounders through the ages.

Enjoy.

Day Two at the Test

2009-07-17T17:06:00.004+01:00

Here's how a remarkable rain interrupted second day went...

England won the first day by 2 sessions to 1. 346-6 at close with the skipper having carried his bat all day for 161 not out. Stuart Broad would accompany him to the crease this morning and with Graeme Swann still to come before the tail starts, England will have been looking at a score of 450 minimum. The Australians would hope that Johnson could put yesterday’s horror show behind him and make early inroads to leave England all out under 400. Just 50 runs the difference between a good morning for England and a good morning for Australia showing how finely balanced this game is after day one.

Here’s what happened on day two…

Oh Dear. Second ball of the day Strauss left one from Hilfenhaus which bent back in and took out his off stump. A huge misjudment, a disastrous start for England, Strauss gone without adding to his overnight score. England 7 down and 400 looking a long way off. Swann in next, Ponting and his men cock-a-hoop!

Argh!! Swann gone in the second over! Short from Siddle angling in at his ribs and edged to Ponting at 2nd slip. Swann gone for 4 and England 8 down. Gulp.

Ooh crumbs, as Penfold used to say. Broad didn’t last beyond the third over of the morning. Driving loosely outside off stump attempting to hit Hilfenhaus for the 3rd four of the over he dragged it back onto his stumps and gone for 16. You might argue that he felt it was worthwhile going for runs at this stage but surely 8 from the over would have done!? You can’t score runs from the dressing room after all. Big and bad he may be, but not better than his Dad this morning. Last man Onions in, England 378-9.

Woo hoo!! 400 hundred up for England. Ponting brings Johnno back on and his first over goes for 7 runs including a back foot drive from Anderson for 4. Good morning Mitchell, we’ve missed you. Anderson and Onions both looking to play their shots now, and why not. The two of them flayed away for a partnership of 47 before Johnson, who had been smashed for 25 from his previous 2 overs and 3 balls, had Anderson caught well at gully for 29. Onions 17 not out and England making it to 425 thanks to this last pair. They’d be happy with that given what happened in the first fifteen minutes of the day, but disappointed not to have got at least 450.

Got him! That’s out! (apologies) Anderson and Flintoff opened up for England and both started with maidens, 4 from the first ball of Anderson’s second over and a wicket with the third! Hughes gone strangled down the leg side gloving an attempted hook through to Prior. Bad ball, great result. Australia 4-1 and Ponting to the crease who, ominously given this will likely be his last tour of England, has not registered a Test hundred at Lords. Watch this space…

Stop watching he’s out too! Inside edge on to pad and just carried to first slip. Caught Strauss bowled Anderson and what a series he is having so far! TV replays and hot spot show that Ponting didn’t hit it, he hit his boot but not the ball so he was not a happie chappie although Hawkeye says it was hitting so he could have been out LBW anyway. All of a sudden thanks to James Anderson first with the bat and then with the ball this became England’s morning! Remarkable stuff. Australia have batting to come yet though. Out of form Hussey in next.

Well well well. Lunchtime on day two and take a bow Jimmy Anderson. England got off to the worst start imaginable losing wickets in each of the first 3 overs of the day but made it up to 425 thanks to 29 from Anderson supported in his plundering by Graeme Onions who finished with 17. He then took two early wickets including that of the Australian captain to leave the Aussies 22-2 at lunch. Super stuff that.

Just two overs were possible after the lunch break before the players came off for rain. It had been promised and an afternoon of frustration was expected. Play resumed an hour later at 2.40pm and tea would be taken slightly later at than normal at 4.20pm. But only 3 and a half overs were possible before the players were off again and didn’t reappear until almost another hour had passed, at 3.40pm. Australia finally reached 50 in the 21st over of the innings and it was confirmed that despite 79 minutes of time off the field, only 4 overs had been lost. Assuming there was no more rain. Tea was taken at 4.20pm as planned, a fairly uneventful afternoon. 87-2, Katich 40* and Hussey 37*.

Hundred up in the 31st over, ship well and truly steadied, then out of nowhere Katich top edged a hook off Onions to fine leg where Broad took a fantastic diving catch. Katich gone for 48 and Australia 103-3. Add two wickets to that as Geoffrey always says... Fifty for the "out of form" Hussey from 82 balls. Shows what I know.

Nelson struck for the third time!! After 222 and 333 accounting for two English batsmen yesterday, 111 - with a little help from a certain burly Lancastrian - saw off Hussey. Clean bowled for 51, Australia 111-4 as Marcus North joined Michael Clarke at the crease. But not for long as Jimmy A removed Clarke. Caught by Cook at midwicket for 1 and 111-5 now. Haddin in to try and stop the rot with 115 needed to avoid the follow on.

North gone!! 139-6 as North looked to pull a ball that wasn't quite short enough for the shot and dragged it on. An agonising 14 ball quacker for the number six and Mitchell Johnson would have to do some serious batting to make up for his woeful performance with the ball. Still along way to the follow on total and England are having a wonderful day.

Johnson fared no better with the bat though, out for 4 from 11 balls. Third bouncer of the over from Broad and the Aussie quick couldn't resist anymore, hooking it straight to Cook out at deep square leg. He was set up and fell hook, line and sinker! 148-7, Hauritz came out to bat at number 9 and his hand would surely be tested by the England seamers.

Just after 6 o'clock the light began to fade over Lords and Haddin wasted no time in pointing that much out to the umpires. His pleas were ignored though, just long enough for Broad to dig one in at him and see him hook tamely to midwicket. Cook took another catch, Haddin's resistance ended on 28 and with just 2 wickets left Australia were staring the follow on in the face still 70+ short.

Only one more over was possible before a combination of bad light and rain halted proceedings with Australia ending on 152-8. A quite brilliant performance by England today, barring the first 3 overs, with James Anderson the star of the show. Four wickets to add to his 29 runs this morning, England clear winners of day two. They should polish Australia off within the first hour tomorrow, it would be a travesty if Anderson didn't finish with 5 for, and then it would be up to Strauss to decide whether to let his bowlers put their feet up for a day or so, or have another crack at things straight off. Rain rain go away...

Lords

2009-07-16T08:53:00.012+01:00

Ah, summer's here. The Lords Test Match against the Australians, Is there anything more special? Well not for the Australians it seems. Their Test record at the home of cricket since 1896 reads played 27, won 13, drawn 13, lost just 1. In 1934. Good luck England...

Well perhaps they didn't need my good luck, here's how day one panned out...

Since 1896 Australia’s Test record against England at Lords reads played 27, won 13, drawn 13, lost 1. That loss coming as far back as 1934. So it would be fair to suggest that the Australians would have arrived in St John’s Wood this morning as favourites, but would England be galvanised by Andrew Flintoff’s resignation, or distracted by the hype as Ricky Ponting hopes.

Early team news was that, as expected, Panesar makes way for a quick man. Onions getting the nod ahead of Harmison as Flintoff is passed fit to play. Ricky Ponting, who named an unchanged team, lost the toss and England will bat on a bright but cloudy morning in North West London.

Hilfenhaus and Johnson shared the new ball, Hilfenhaus with the first over of the day from the Nursery End and Johnston, obviously then, from the Pavilion End. Johnson’s woes continued from the Cardiff Test, removed from the attack after bowling just four overs as England reached 39-0 after 9 overs. Johnston (0-26) replaced by Siddle.

The first hours play was a good one for England. Johnson out of the attack early, 57 runs on the board and Ponting complaining already, this time about the shape of the ball. The umpires weren’t having it though. Cook was first to fifty, in the 22nd over from 73 balls and England’s hundred was brought up courtesy of a bye off keeper Haddin’s pads in the 25th over of the morning.

126 for no loss at lunch England, a fantastic morning’s work from the opening pair who were opening the innings together for the 57th time today, the most by any English pairing. Alastair Cook went to lunch on 67 not out and Andrew Strauss was just three short of his half century on 47 not out. Australia’s bowling was poor, Johnson in particular will be a concern for Ponting, and both batsmen cashed in. Fantastic stuff.

Strauss joined Cook on fifty shortly after lunch, his half century coming up of 104 balls in the 34th over. The first real excitement of the day came midway through the 39th over, Cook advanced down the pitch and drove hard back at the bowler Hauritz who got a hand to it but succeeded only in having his middle finger bent backward so badly he had to leave the field in real pain, Marcus North finished the over, England beyond 150 by now. News from the Australian dressing room an hour after lunch was that Hauritz’s finger is not broken so that was good news, less good news was that Mitchell Johnson continued to bowl like a drain. 8 from his first over after lunch leaving him 9-0-61-0 at drinks.

Well, who’d have thought it, first Johnson over after drinks and he of all people gets Cook to claim his 100th Test wicket. Cook just five short of a century, the ball kept a little low and trapped him straight in front. Bad luck, England 196-1 and in came Bopara. Nineteen balls later back Bopara went as double Nelson struck. Another LBW, again dead in front, this time from the bowling of Hilfenhaus who had easily been the pick of Australia’s bowlers thus far. Bopara gone for 18, Hilfenhaus 16-9-38-1, England 222-2 and Richie Benaud impersonators around the World were in raptures. Strauss was still there on 90 and time for Pietersen…

And he didn’t disappoint, giving the spectators collective heart failure in the two overs prior to tea, racing down the track to smash the spinner, North, over mid on for four, then very nearly getting himself out handled ball and then very, very nearly being caught by Haddin from a top edge off a one handed pull shot. Scary stuff, finally a single got him off strike which led to…
Hundred for Strauss! Two balls before the tea interval he cut Hilfenhaus behind point for 3 runs to register his fourth Test hundred at Lords, his eighteenth in total and his third against Australia. England 255-2 at tea and the captain exactly 100 not out. Well played Sir.

Fourth over after tea guess who got out? Yep Pietersen. At least this time he wasn’t doing something stupid. A “fair dinkum”, as the bowler Peter Siddle might have said, outside edge. Terrific ball that committed KP to the shot and moved away just enough to square him up and catch the bat on its way through behind to Haddin. Pietersen 32 and England 267-3. More action came in Siddle’s next over when Strauss slashed hard to gulley and a diving Hussey put him down. It was a tough chance but you’d back these Aussies to take them and to add salt to the wound the ball carried on for 4. Siddle by this stage had cranked it up to a consistent speed of 90mph+ and was looking dangerous.

England reached 300 in the 76th over of the day when Johnson came back into the attack for another burst. 1-77 from 11 overs up until this point so not his best day it’s safe to say. Just one run off the bat and two leg byes came from this comeback over, and there was even a spot of swing.

Next over, Collingwood thought he was Pietersen and danced down to Clarke and played a horrible shot straight to mid on. Strauss was furious at the non strikers end, and rightly so. What on earth was that all about? England 4 down now, 302 on the board, and the new ball was only 3 and a half overs away. Prior would need to stay at the crease until close or Australia would be right back in the game.

But he couldn’t. In the last over before the new ball was due the worst bowler on display so far, Johnson, found an absolute beauty to swing in and bowl him off stump. England 5 down for 317 and suddenly Australia were two quick wickets away from being in charge of the game. Flintoff in next. Ricky Ponting didn’t take the new ball straight away, having seen the ball swing in the last over he wanted to see if there was some reverse there for his bowlers before deciding what to do.

And that was the right decision, 2 overs and 3 deliveries after the new ball was due the old ball swung away from Flintoff, took the edge and flew to a delighted Australian skipper at 2nd slip. Having succumbed to double Nelson earlier in the day triple Nelson struck now, England 333-6 with Flintoff gone caught Ponting bowled Hilfenhaus for 4. Stuart Broad to the crease.

Having got the breakthrough Ricky Ponting took the new ball with 5 overs left in the day and continued with Johnson who conceded 9 runs from his over, and Hilfenhaus who goes for 6 runs, in the over where Strauss brought up his 150. Great knock, the captain leading from the front in the face of a jittery final session for England’s batsmen.

Strauss and Broad made it through to stumps with no alarms, Strauss passing 5000 Test runs in the process. The score of 364 -6 at close represented a really good day for England, tarnished only by the loss of perhaps 2 wickets more than they would have liked. Collingwood gifted his wicket, but the others were undone by decent balls so shouldn’t be too despondent. Strauss the captain 161* overnight will look to push onto 450+ tomorrow, a score that looks more tricky now than it perhaps might have given the state of the match at tea, but let’s face it, it’s not often the Australians lose all 3 sessions in a day. Well played England, well done Alastair Cook and very well done Andrew Strauss. For the tourists Hilfenhaus was the pick of the crop, finishing with figures of 25-10-77-2, his figures ruined slightly by some loose stuff in the last half hour of the day. Johnson had a horrible day going at more than 6 an over for most of it, but picked up 2 wickets. Siddle looked menacing but was without luck. Honours probably just about even, England perhaps still edging it. It will be an absolutely crucial first hour tomorrow morning.

Freddie Flint('s) Off

2009-07-15T11:01:00.015+01:00

Hot on the heels of Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff has announced his retirement from Test Cricket today. As the curse of the 2005 Ashes claims yet another victim, I'll be looking at Flintoff's career pre and post Ashes.

1995 -1998

After starring in youth cricket for St Annes in Preston and for Lancashire and England age group sides, where his size and strength gave him a considerable advantage over boys of a same age, Flintoff made his First Class debut for his beloved Lancashire in 1995 aged just 17. It wasn't a resounding success, scores of 7 and 0 were backed up with match bowling figures of 11-0-39-0 but at a young age, with all the talent in the World ready to be harnessed, there was a lot more to come. He captained the England under 19 side in 1996 and 1997 and, in what seemed at the time a bold move, was picked to make his Test debut in 1998, aged just 20. This came just a month after hitting 61 from 24 balls, including 35 from one over, to help Lancashire chase down 250 in a championship match against Surrey. Wasim Akram said at the time that if Flintoff had been born in Pakistan, he would have been playing Test cricket already, referring to the practice on the subcontinent of picking players on potential rather than weight of runs or wickets.

1998 - 2002

Unfortunately, for the first two years following his debut, potential was all anyone really saw from Flintoff in both the international arena and in domestic cricket. By Flintoff's own admission in "Being Freddie" (which can be summarised thus; "grew up, got good at cricket, got pissed a lot, got less good at cricket, stopped getting pissed, got good at cricket again, won the Ashes, got pissed.") he struggled with his weight largely due to his new lifestyle, that of a 20 year professional international cricketer with money and a city centre pad, hard to cope with, opting for pizzas, currys and cans of beer rather than chicken, pasta and mineral water. It wasn't a lifestyle that a 6' 4" frame could readily cope with and his weight ballooned to 19 stone which lead to two years of struggling with form and fitness and by 2000 his back was so bad he could barely bowl and many were beginning to lose patience with the precocious youngster who seemed to be in danger of eating and drinking away his talent without giving himself the chance to succeed. Having missed the first match of the 2000 NatWest series injured, his, "not bad for a fat lad" jibe when picking up a man of the match award in the following game - for 42 runs against Zimbabwe for goodness sake, at this stage his most significant international innings - was further evidence of his lack of dedication, and disregard for the wishes of the England management It's easy to look back on Flintoff's career now and think, "aw, bless him" but at the time it was no laughing matter. Something had to change, and fast.

A year later nothing had changed. Flintoff was out of the English team and was almost out of the Lancashire team after a dressing room dressing down by the coach Bobby Simpson. His career, such as it was at the time, was in serious danger of petering out into nothing. It took intervention and an all or nothing ultimatum from his management team of Andrew Chandler and Neil Fairbrother for Flintoff to realise just how much danger he was in. He was sent, at his own request, to The ECB Academy run by Rod Marsh to live and breath cricket, lose weight and get fit in an environment where could do little else. He was recalled to England colours in the winter of 2001 when he was called to India, but whether the return came too soon or whether it just wasn't his tour, he was in appalling form and became so frustrated that he broke down in tears in the dressing-room. He would later look back on this as a turning point in his career.

The 2002 New Zealand tour saw Flintoff make his maiden Test century and had a decent home summer although by the end of 2002, he had averaged just 19 with the bat and 47 with the ball in his career to date. The biggest moment of 2002 though happened off the field, when Flintoff met the lovely Rachel Woods in a sponsors tent. The love of a good woman seemed to do wonders for Flintoff, and he himself credits Rachel with finally getting his career going in the right direction.

2003 - 2006

This was Flintoff's golden period. Having recovered from an operation on a hernia sustained on the 2002/2003 Ashes tour, he had time out away from cricket to concentrate solely on getting fit and starred in the 5 Test summer series against South Africa scoring a century and 3 fifties, including 95 in the remarkable comeback at the Oval, winning man of the series in the process. The tour of the Caribbean at the beginning of 2004 further raised Freddie's stock, he scored a century, took a 5 wicket haul and continued to show that he could be a genuinely fast attacking bowler. In England's victorious summer of 2004 Flintoff hit half centuries in every Test and continued to be England's most potent weapon with the ball. He flew to South Africa for the 2004/2005 tour firmly established as England's talisman, having finally begun to fulfil all his early promise. Injury was a concern by the end of that tour and a cricketing nation held it's collective breath over his fitness for the Ashes, as we heard for the first time about that troublesome ankle.

All was well, and swapping his honeymoon for an intensive rehabilitation programme had him fit and firing and ready to capture the nations hearts during the greatest series ever. Enough has been written here and elsewhere about that so we don't need to go into any more detail. Suffice to say that Flintoff's all round performance evoked vivid memories of and inevitable comparisons with Both in 1981, key moments including his Edgbaston twin fifties and 7 wickets in the match, including Langer and Ponting in one of the most perfect overs ever bowled in the second innings, his century, his first against Australia, in the winning Test at Trentbridge, and 5 wickets in the 2nd innings at the Oval. Flintoff had become the first Englishman to claim over 20 wickets and 400 runs in a series as he finished with 24 wickets and 402 runs, enough to win him another man of the series award and the inaugural Compton-Miller Medal. The aftermath of this Ashes win, and Flintoff's part in that, has become stuff of legend and although there were a few disapproving murmurings, there are not many would have begrudged him this blow out.

Flintoff's star shone brightly for another year, he captained England in India in February 2006 due to the unavailability of Vaughan and Trescothick with success, doing enough to win another man of the series award and drawing the series courtesy of a series levelling win in Mumbai in which Flintoff contributed 100 runs and 4 wickets. Flintoff missed that home summer due to injury, losing the captaincy to Strauss, but won it back in time to travel as England captain down under for the 2006/2007 Ashes rematch.

2007 - July 2009

A 5-0 whitewash with a shadow of the 2005 side was too much for Flintoff to cope with on his own, and this tour was a Flintoff PR disaster. Hammered in the first Test, Flintoff was lucky to escape sanction when he arrived for a training session at the Adelaide Oval leading into the second Ashes Test at the end of 2006 clearly suffering the consequences of a heavy night out. Reports are that he could barley focus on the balls being hit to him for catching practice and had to have the bloke next to him throw them back in to Duncan Fletcher. It's said the only reason he escaped sanction then was to preserve team unity early in the tour. Flintoff is further believed to have sought solace in the bar on a number of occasions throughout the tour and indeed Duncan Fletcher reports that a practice session had to be cancelled prior to the One Day Series in February, because the captain was worse for wear. This was not long before the infamous "Fredalo" incident in St Lucia which cost him the vice captaincy and made many question his worth around the side.

Flintoff would go on to miss every home Test in 2007 and had been plagued with almost constant injury ever since. As he announced his retirement on July 15th 2009 to concentrate on ODI and T20 cricket, only a fortnight after his latest incident one can't help but look back over the career of Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff and notice some uneasy parallels.

A promising youngster who looked as though his lifestyle might prevent him ever reaching his full potential as a cricketer, Flintoff became for a brief spell one of the World's greatest. Building up from 2003 he peaked in the 2005 Ashes and achieved things no one would have imagined possible years before. He was England's number one and undoubted star, in a team full of match winners he rose above them all. But almost as soon as that little urn had returned to English hands, the bubble began to burst. An increased workload on the field that came with being England's go to bowler and talisman all rounder, the increased pressure off it with captaincy and media interest all became too much for the big lovable Northern lad and his career went into a decline from which it was never to recover. It's almost as if Flintoff's sole cricketing purpose was to regain the Ashes in 2005, and for that we should be eternally grateful, even if he does exit the Test arena leaving behind a hollow sense of unfulfilled promise, and tinge of regret for what might have been had his body allowed him to consistently be the player everyone can see he could have been. Or, perhaps more aptly, had he allowed his body to allow him to consistently be the player everyone can see he could have been.

You lucky, lucky b*stards...

2009-07-12T20:19:00.008+01:00

Phew. Thrilling stuff, Manchester Piccadilly Stations sports bar wasn't where I would have imagined myself watching one of the great rearguard actions in recent times, but that wasn't biggest surprise of the day. Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar guided England to a draw. Here's how...

It seemed a pretty simple equation for the Australians arriving at The SWALEC for the final day of this Test. Turn up, take 8 English wickets and march on to Lords 1-0 up. Having given the English a 3 day batting masterclass in compiling 674, and Ponting reading the weather forecast well enough to declare earlier than most would have expected and nicking out 2 wickets before the rain came on day four, it looked like there was only one team left in the game. Of course England couldn't win, but a draw was still possible, but all the smart money must surely have been on Australia making it six in a row.

England's top two batsmen, captain Strauss and main man KP, were the not out batsmen over night so there was still hope. But not for long. Fourth over of the day saw Pietersen make a Horlicks, and a typically flamboyant one at that, of a straight delivery from Hilfenhaus which he let go all the way onto his of stump. England 31-3 and Collingwood, who it must be said thrives in this sort of situation, in earlier than anybody, Australians aside, would have liked. It didn't get any better any time soon as the much maligned Mr Hauritz stepped up and had the English skipper caught behind top edging a sweep in just his second over. 46-4 with just 45 minutes of the day gone. Lunch was beginning to look like it might be a liquid one for Ponting and his men.

Sure enough, Matt Prior didn't hang around all that long, 32 balls before he was back in the hutch caught off a top edge cutting, who other than Nathan "what the hell is he doing here" Hauritz. England finally limped to lunch 102-5, with no rain forecast to save them and only Collingwood left as a real hope for salvation. For any chance of the game being saved he would have to stay there for the rest of the innings and just hope that Flintoff, Broad, Swann, Anderson and, Heaven help us, Monty could do enough at the other end.

Flintoff did well enough, 89 minutes at the crease faced 71 balls and scored just 26 as he curbed his instincts to attack and played sensibly and solidly until he wafted his bat at a delivery from the out of sorts Johnston to Ricky at 2nd slip. You'd think it was game over now even with Broad and and Swann still to come. Decent lower order batsmen they undoubtedly are, but this would be a step too far. Surely...

Another hour passed before Broad was on his way back to the pavilion, 159-7 now, not that the 159 mattered, probably, but all of a sudden you maybe just wondered. Not long until tea, if Swann could hang around until then and maybe an hour afterwards, Anderson plays his nightwatchman role, Colly holds tight, Johnston continues to aim at first slip...

Well, as it happened, Swann did just that. Another hours play eaten up before he was plumb in front playing an awful pull shot to a straight ball which kept a little low, but not so low that the maker's name wouldn't have dealt with it. Elation from Ponting and his men, the new ball had worked but now there were less than 20 overs to go and the score all of a sudden was threatening to add an extra dimension to things. England had crept up to 18 behind. So suddenly there was the chance that Australia might have to bat again to knock off a handful of runs. And in the process lose 2 overs, or ten minutes, for the change over. The game, all of a sudden, was looking less like a formality by the over.

There came a huge, huge, huge HUGE miss on the first ball of the16th last over. Anderson defended a short ball into the leg side, Collingwood wanted one, Anderson toyed with the idea for a step or three then sent Collingwood back, by which time Hauritz had picked the ball up and send it towards the stumps at the non strikers end but missed all three as Collingwood was face down in the dust 6 inches or so short of his ground. That was match point missed. The rest of the over passed without incident and 15 overs were now to be bowled, as a minimum, and Aleem Dar signalled the last hour of the match at 5.50pm on the button.

11.3 overs to go, Collingwood caught Hussey, bowled Siddle. Oh. Dear. Wonderful stuff from Mr Gritty, 344 minutes 245 balls and he was devastated. Out comes Monty, there go England.

7.4 overs to go, Australia have to bat again. Now then, now then, now then said Jimmy. Possibly.

5 overs remaining, England lead by 6. So if a wicket falls next over that one is gone, minus another two for the change. So it's not quite now or never at this stage, but it ain't far off.

Now, 4 overs to go following another Hauritz over and Ponting turned to North. Now it was now or never. If Australia didn't get a wicket in this over that would be it. But, it wouldn't. Because we were in the last hour. 15 overs minimum. Must play an hour. And with spin at both ends it was now a time issue, not an overs issue. Play had to end at 6.50pm, it's a ten minute change around between innings so England just had to bat out until 6.41pm. Which would be in about 4 overs time. So two each from North and Hauritz. Even if a wicket did fall Australia would probably have only 1 over to score the required runs which would by no means be a foregone conclusion. England, at 6.30pm on the final day, had somehow, just about saved this Test Match from an impossible position at close on day 4, an insurmountable position at lunch on day 5 and a perilous position at tea on day 5.

And, lo and behold, save it they did. Monty crashed North through cover for 4 in his first over, Anderson blocked out a maiden from Hauritz, Monty blocked out a maiden from North, 6.39pm, one more over during which the clock would tick on to 6.40pm and the game would be over anyway, no runs until the last ball which spun out of the rough for a bye, handshakes all round and the game was drawn. My word what a final session that was.

Well done England, commiserations Australia. England escape and have little time to sort things out before Lords. Batting needs work, not technically, but mentally. The Australians will be looking for more of the same. Ineffectual stuff from Johnston today cost them big, and the two spinners never really looked like sorting the last pair out. Thrilling stuff, bring on the next one.

2009-07-08T09:12:00.003+01:00

Typical. 29 years of livng in Scotland with little or no top level cricket to watch, your work moves you to Manchester the weekend before the Ashes starts and where is the Old Trafford Test? Cardiff, that's where. Bloomin' Cardiff. I repeat, typical.

Now, I accept that the chances of getting tickets were slim anyway, (although I was offfered one for the Saturday) and Manchester is only two and bit hours from Lords and the Oval, an hour from Headingly and an hour and a half from Edgbaston but that's beside the point. I'll also be able to watch every ball on an outdoors big screen with a cold pint of Red Stripe at £2.95 a pop so it's not all bad.

Anyway, the move to Manchester has left me without internet connection outside work for the time being, so have to leave it at that. Best of luck England for day one, and I'll be reporting on day two's play for worldcricketwatch from an internet cafe somewhere.

And did those feet, in ancient........

Pic of the Day

2009-07-03T16:31:00.004+01:00

The SWALEC Stadium, which on Wednesday will become the 100th Test Match venue.

ICC Cup

2009-07-02T11:55:00.005+01:00

This season's ICC Intercontinental Cup, which gives the Associate (i.e the best non Test playing) nations the opportunity to play against each other in 4 day matches gets underway today in Aberdeen with the opening match between Scotland and Canada. Scotland captain Gavin Hamilton sits this out and Gordon Drummond gets his first shot at captaining the national side.

Running commentary and full scorecards of the next 4 days play can be found here.

Robert Key

2009-07-02T10:07:00.004+01:00

In the wake of the Ashes squad announcement and beginning of both the England Lions vs Australia and England vs Warwickshire games commencing yesterday, Rob Marrs over at Left Back in the Changing Room quite rightly bemoans the seeming loss of Robert Key to English cricket.

Like Rob I agree that Key, Fat Bobby or not, has been very harshly treated by the English selectors over the years. With all the toing and froing for the number 3 spot and the insistence on keeping faith with Iain Bloody Bell, Key can count himself mightily unlucky not to have had another chance.

Rob discusses in more detail here

Vaughan, but will not be Forgotten

2009-06-29T20:55:00.006+01:00

On Tuesday 30th June it is widely expected that Michael Vaughan, arguably England's greatest ever captain, will hold a press conference to confirm his retirement from First Class cricket after 16 years in the game.

Born in Manchester, Vaughan made his Yorkshire debut in 1993 and his England debut in 1999 when he came to the crease as England's 600th Test Match player with the score at 2 for 2 against the South Africans and stood at the non strikers end while the score line became 2 for 4 before he faced his first ball. Vaughan stroked 33 in the calm and assured manner that was to become one of his trademarks. Stylish, graceful and elegant, to see Michael Vaughan in full flow became one of the great pleasures of an English summer and to watch him drive through the covers or swivel onto a pull over mid wicket to see all that was good about English cricket. Vaughan would go on to play for England 82 times and score 5719 runs including 18 hundreds, with an average above 40. In his first class career he amassed over 16000 runs including 42 scores of one hundred or more.

For all that Vaughan did over the course of his career, however, he will be forever remembered for his two career defining performances in back to back Ashes Series, first as a batsman in 2002/2003 and then as a captain in 2005.

Vaughan travelled down under in 2002 on the back of a domestic summer which had yielded 900 runs in seven Test matches against Sri Lanka and India, including four hundreds with two scores of 190+ against India. I was at the Oval when Vaughan was dismissed for 195, following his score of 197 two Tests earlier, prompting a man close by to muse somewhat sarcastically, "Good player this Vaughan. Struggles in the 190s though." This was tongue in cheek of course as by this stage the cricketing nation had taken Michael Vaughan to their hearts, due not only to the weight of runs he had scored, but the sumptuous strokeplay he had used to get them. It had been a long, long time since England had a batsman capable of dominating attacks and making it look so effortless in the process. Choruses of “Michael Vaughan my Lord, Michael Vaughan” to the tune of Kumbayah had already begun to ring round the Oval.

In the five Test Ashes Series that followed Vaughan scored over 600 runs including 3 centuries, propelling him to the top of the official World ranking during a spell where he “touched greatness” as a batsman. He was the first tourist to score over 600 runs against Australia in Australia for over 30 years, the first Englishman to score 3 centuries against them since Chris Broad and the first English to top the World rankings since Graeme Gooch. He left Australia as the sole player to have left his mark on the Australians, a fact that went a considerable way to securing his position as captain of the English one day side ahead of the vice captain Marcus Trescothick. A score of 153 against the South Africans cemented Vaughan’s place as test captain when Hussain stepped down in the following match.

Vaughan would go on to captain the England side in 51 Test Matches and win a record 26 making him, statistically, the most successful captain in English cricket history. Vaughan’s success owed much to the work of his predecessor Nasser Hussain and the measures he began to put in place along with Duncan Fletcher, centrals contacts being the most important. 2004 saw Vaughan lead an England side to an undefeated year including a record 8 straight wins, beating the West Indies in The Caribbean, winning all seven home Test Matches that summer and then beating South Africa away from home for the first time since 1965. This run of form catapulted England to number two in the ICC World rankings, setting up a 1st versus 2nd clash in the most eagerly anticipated series, perhaps, ever, the 2005 Ashes. And we all know how that ended, after a crushing defeat at Lords followed "The Greatest Test" at Edgbaston, probably the most famous draw in English cricket history at Old Trafford, a win at Trentbridge and the most important toss of Vaughan's career at the Oval which allowed him to bat first and watch Kevin Pietersen bat the Aussies out of the game. MBE's all round an OBE for Vaughan and the hope that he would continue to lead England into a previously unknown period of dominance.

However, that wasn't to be as at the beginning of the Pakistan tour Vaughan twisted his knee in a warm up game. He recovered in time to play in the 2nd and 3rd Tests but was not the batsman we knew and flew home for surgery instead of staying on the the One Day Series. He flew to India after Christmas but was back on a plane to England before the 1st Test and wouldn't play again until May 2007 when he returned to captain the side on his home ground Headingly and scored a composed 103 to the delight of all in the land. Mike Selvey of The Guardian described the innings as a "masterpiece", and said "Vaughan came as close to perfection as ever he can have done."

Sadly though this represented a false dawn. Vaughan continued in the side for another year or so, passing 5000 Test runs, winning a series away in New Zealand and notching up his 18th and final Test century in the return leg in England, but poor form in the 2nd half of the 2008 summer against South Africa resulted in an emotional resignation from the England captaincy after 5 years in charge. He has not played for England since and the omission from the 2009 Ashes squad sounded the death knell for Vaughan's international career. His retirement from all first class cricket may seem a little extreme, but when you have touched the heights that Vaughan has during his career it must be impossible to motivate a 34 year old body with knackered knees to rejoin the county treadmill. Nasser Hussain believes that the timing of Vaughan's announcement is perfect as it will allow new captain Strauss and new number three Bopara to settle into their roles with less pressure. Kevin Pietersen describes it as a typically selfless act from a great man who knew the right thing to do tactics-wise when he was captain, and when he batted, on numerous occasions.

Life after cricket should present Vaughan with no shortage of opportunities. Sky Sports will almost certainly come calling, a newspaper column would be essential reading even if only for the Ashes, he has his property, his wine and his golf which his knees should just about allow him to continue playing. Whatever he does in the future he will walk away from English cricket with his head held high and forever retain a special place in the hearts of English cricket fans across the country. We will all remember with fondness all that Vaughany brought to our game. Thanks for everything Michael, it's been a pleasure.

Ashes 2009 Squads Part 2 - The English

2009-06-17T12:10:00.004+01:00

As promised yesterday here follows a run down of the English candidates for the training squad which will now be announced on Monday 22nd June, not Saturday 20th as previously advised.

The England selectors will on Monday the 22nd June announce an extended training squad of up to 17 players for the upcoming Ashes series before deciding on the final 12 or 13 man squad which will go into battle in Cardiff on July 8th. Here we'll have a look at the probable candidates for the squad, starting with what is likely to be the Test XI.

1. Andrew Strauss - Captain, opening batsman and therefore, along with Pietersen, will be the wicket the Aussies will covet the most. He needs to continue the good form he has shown against the West Indies of late and stamp some authority on England’s innings much as he and Trescothick did on day one at Edgbaston in 2005. Slip catching will be vital.

2. Alastair Cook - Often accused of getting out too easily after making a start, despite having an average of 45 with 9 hundreds and 19 fifties to his name and being the youngest English batsmen to reach 1000, 2000 and 3000 Test match runs. At twenty four he has one Ashes series behind him already and, if he can play to his potential this summer, he could end up as England's star performer. A much improved fielder which will be crucial in the cordon or under the helmet at short leg.

3. Ravi Bopara - Cook's Essex counterpart, Bopara is having his second crack at Test Match cricket after a disastrous first attempt in Sri Lanka. His fortunes this time around could not have been more different and for the first time since another Essex man announced his second coming in 1997, England should have found a genuine number three for the long term.

4. Kevin Pietersen - No player on either side needs a special series quite as much as this man. He’ll want to put the first half of 2009 behind him and show everyone that Kevin Pietersen is still a world class batsman. An article in a recent free magazine hailed KP as “the greatest English batsman of all time.” Nonsense of course, but he has the potential to be one of the best ever. He still has a lot to do before that happens though, and needs a big series this summer to silence his critics.

5. Paul Collingwood - Steady but unspectacular batsman, steady but unspectacular bowler and excellent fielder, although I'm beginning to lose count of the number of times I've heard commentators say, "Ooh, he doesn't drop many" immediately after he has put down a catch. One of the, if not the only, stand out performer on the ill fated 2006/2007 tour Colly may well have to once again be the backbone of England’s batting effort if the flair players at three and four fail.

6. Matt Prior - Will go in at number six and could just about hold a place there without his keeping, which will itself be under intense scrutiny this summer. Geraint Jones just about got away with a catalogue of mistakes in 2005, Matt Prior might not be so lucky in 2009. James Foster's peerless display behind the stumps in the Twenty 20 World Cup should have served as a wake up call.

7. Andrew Flintoff - For a long time following the 2005 Ashes I was of the opinion that the England side looked better without Flintoff. That is no longer the case. If fit he has to play and will bat at seven. We just have to hope he acts as talisman and not a disruption, and the opposition see fiery Fred not friendly Fred. Even if his batting form continues to desert him his bowling and catching and the effect he should have in lifting the home crowd make him worth his place. Don't expect a repeat of his 2005 heroics though, that Freddie has gone.

8. Stuart Broad - A rapidly improving young cricketer, this series will be a big challenge for the youngster but one that he looks like he is ready to meet head on. His contribution with the bat at number eight could be invaluable.

9. Graeme Swann - Moved above Panesar in the pecking order during the West Indies tour and hasn't looked back. Now more or less established as England's number one spinner, Swann offers more guile and variation than Monty, can add useful runs from nine and is a very competent fielder in the deep or in the gully.

10. James Anderson - "The Burnley Express" will lead England’s bowling attack this summer and go head to head with Mitchell Johnston for the bragging rights as number one pace bowler in the series. At only 26 Jimmy has already been around for what seems like forever and if the ball swings for him he will be England’s main weapon.

11. Graeme Onions - Surely did enough in his first two Test matches to merit inclusion in the starting XI ahead of Sidebottom and Harmison. Not much to say other than “more of the same please.”

12. Tim Bresnan - Deserved his call up to the Test side for the West Indies and was unlucky not to get more of an opportunity to shine. Should remain in the squad as back up for Flintoff. Only other genuine all rounder in the squad, although as yet untested at this level.

13. Ian Bell - Started the domestic season with a bang but has faded away of late. Should find himself in the squad of seventeen but is up against competition from Shah, Vaughan and Key, probably in that order. There may be room for Bell and one of the latter three, if the selectors go for one keeper. If not, Bell should just pip the others.

14. Adil Rashid - The much hyped Yorkshire youngster has been spoken about as a Test prospect for two years now, but wary of over exposure too young has been held back. It seems now the time is right for him to step up and while he may not play in a Test match this summer, if Swann gets injured or loses form he could be given his debut.

15. Steve Harmison - One of only four players to have passed the 50 wicket mark in first class cricket this year, reports are that Harmison is back to his hostile best. The last thing the Australians want is a fit and firing Steve Harmison with a new ball in his hand so don’t rule him out, although at this stage he is in the reserve list behind his Durham teammate Onions.

16. Ryan Sidebottom - Sidebottom’s inclusion perhaps makes the reserve list bowler heavy, but the three are so different they all need to be in the selector’s thoughts. Spin from Rashid, raw pace and bounce from Harmison and Sidebottom comes in offering a different angle of attack from left arm over the wicket and brings swing. Perhaps question marks over his fitness for the five day stuff, but should be included.

17. James Foster* - This is a tough one. Will they go for Foster to keep Prior on his toes, or will they play safe and have an extra batsman? I’d like to see Foster given a shot as if Prior doesn’t score runs he shouldn’t be in the side, simple as that, and this man should come in.

*It could be argued that the squad listed above is perhaps a batsman light. On the assumption that Ian Bell will be named, that leaves four likely candidates for the last remaining place should the selectors decide to go for that option rather than the extra keeper.

Owais Shah - Has probably had his last chance for now, but will be on the fringes and may take the last place ahead of the candidates below as the “safe” option.

Robert Key - I would love to see Robert Key be given another chance at Test cricket, but sadly can’t see it happening. For whatever reason he seems to be English cricket’s forgotten man.

Michael Vaughan -Very unlikely you’d think, but stranger things have happened. Remember Darren Pattinson?

Ian Blackwell - Watch out. Since his move to the North East Blackwell has been on fire and offers something with the ball too. If the selectors are feeling adventurous you never know.

Ashes 2009 Squads Part 1 - The Australians

2009-06-16T14:00:00.009+01:00

Courtesy of Blaise Murphet at http://www.worldcricketwatch.com/ a detailed look at this summer's touring Australian Squad.

"Ashes 2009 - The Australian Touring Party . . .

Does anyone else feel that the Australian selectors have taken a ‘if we pick a safe team, we’ll probably win’ approach?? Where is the spark? Where are the ‘X Factors’ apart from Mitchell Johnson? Let’s break down the squad and see if we can’t find an Aussie win.

First we’ll analyse the likely first test line-up:

1. Phillip Hughes – an exiting prospect, and could well be a Hayden-ready replacement. But, so inexperienced! Yes, he had a fantastic series in South Africa, and he’s impressed mightily in the County Championship, but the Ashes are a serious test. A lot will depend on which opening bowlers England select, but Hughes does have a lot of upside."
(continue reading…)

I will be following up tomorrow with a look at the certainties, the probables, the possibles and the "you never knows" for the English team ahead of the extended squad announcement on Saturday.

Ponting Towards the Ashes

2009-06-12T09:42:00.005+01:00

"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Out Out Out!!!" This was the gleeful text message I received in the immediate aftermath of Australia's defeat to Sri Lanka which sent them crashing out of the T20 World Cup. My thoughts? Ha, yeah well yes. Yes they are out, there's no denying it. The Australians will not be winning this year's T20 World Cup. Or is it the 20/20 World Cup? Or the Twenty20 World Cup? Or the Ttwenty... you get the point. Who really gives a XXXX? Ricky Ponting's post match interview left me in little doubt. The answer? Not them anyway. Not really. Of course he stated genuine disappointment at not having performed as well as we all know they can, of course they would have loved to have won, but deep down there was only one thing on his mind. The knowing smile and the glint in the eye when Ian Chappell asked about the upcoming you-know-what spoke volumes. Don't get me wrong, the Australians won’t laugh this defeat off. They won't be thinking "Fantastic two weeks break, bring back Roy and we'll have a few nights on the fizz before the proper stuff starts!” No no. Talks will have been had for sure, but they will have been calm, measured, constructive and with a greater prize in mind. The response to my friend's goading message was simple. "Beware the wounded Tiger." Make no mistake, the 2009 Australian cricket team are on these shores for one reason and one reason only.

Ricky Ponting made his first Ashes tour to England in 1997 as a 22 year old learning the ropes. But even by that stage he had already more or less established himself in the one day side and been schooled as a 20 year old on the 1995 tour to the West Indies, which many, if not most, mark as the turning point in world cricket which derailed the West Indian juggernaut, and signalled the beginning of the great Australian period of true dominance. Ponting played little on that tour but as a young, hungry cricketer it was the perfect time to learn about he game and the greater significance of the Baggy Green. His time on the sidelines with Justin Langer made them both determined that once they had that cap on their heads, they were not letting it go without a fight. And how right that proved. Yet ten years later there they both were at the Oval, looking on helplessly as England whooped and hollered and drank (and drank, and drank) in celebration of their success in wrestling the greatest prize in cricket away from them. This was not to be allowed to happen again. To read Ricky Ponting's Captains Diary of 2007 is to read the sporting equivalent of a self help, self motivation, "How to Succeed and Make a $million" business bible. This charts the journey from infamous boot camp to 5-0 whitewash through the eyes of the man who did more than most to make it happen. One man does not make a team, particularly when that team included Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath, but Ponting was the heartbeat and the drive behind it all. Within the first one hundred pages of that book, while we were still on the build up to the Gabba, days and weeks before Harmy's (worst) ball of the century, it was clear that only one team was going to win the 2006/2007 Ashes.

The 2009 Ashes, however, are a different matter. Gone are the openers, Haydos and Alfie, averaging 50 and 45 respectively with 53 test hundreds between them. Gone is Gilly, and what do you say about him? Stats don't even matter (96 matches, 5570 runs at nearly 48 with a strike rate a fraction under 82 and 406 dismissals, seeing as you ask) who can replace him? And then there you have Warne and McGrath. Enough said really. But, who do we have still there? Looking around wondering where all his mates have gone, perhaps thinking in hindsight that he should have joined them in retirement and allowed Michael Clarke to take over the reigns with a two and a half year lead in period to this years Ashes. Yep, Ricky. He's still here. 6th Ashes, 3rd as captain, World's best batsmen (as of 12th June 2009 the official rankings have him at 6th, but if you believe that 5 others, including Gautam Gambir, are better batsmen you're as deluded as Paul Collingwood was when he thought he could out-sledge Shane Warne) but he has one empty space on his CV. With 10,000+ runs, an average approaching sixty, 37 centuries, 4 Allan Border medals, 3 world cups, a 3 times Australian test player of the year he has already achieved pretty much everything there is to in the game and is set to break all batting records before he retires. He is also an Australian Ashes winning captain. But, crucially, he is also an Australian Ashes losing captain, and that is what 2009 is all about.

As 11am on 8th July approaches the question a great many doubters are asking is this, "Is Ricky Ponting a good captain, or is he just a great batsman who had the luxury of a world beating, once in a life time, team?" This is something Ponting is well used to having had to deal with these thoughts ever since taking over from Steve Waugh, who had similar accusations and doubts thrown at him. To follow Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh is a tough ask for anyone but Pontng has answered his critics with runs, runs, more runs and most importantly, victories. Never has there been a moment where his place has been in doubt. A Test career average of 57.58 increased to 75 since assuming one day captaincy in 2002, and his success ratio as captain is better than any of his predecessors with just 8 more victories required to hold the record for number of test match wins.

The same doubters will argue once more that of course he has these stats as captain with Hayden, Langer, Gilly, Warne and McGrath in tow, but how do they explain this batting average? I'll explain it, it's not difficult, he thrives on the captaincy and leads from the front. Cricket captaincy isn't always all about imaginative field placing or being the guy clapping and shouting the loudest, sometimes it's just about setting the right example at training, in your attitude and preparation, what you say and how you carry yourself on tour and in the dressing room and, once the game starts, leading from the front with the bat, ball or in the field. It won’t be easy this Ashes series and any talks of 5-0 for either side are ludicrous, but in Ricky Ponting Australia have no better man to lead them in their quest to retain the Ashes.

Shane Warne made no secret of the fact that he would have retired after the 2005 Ashes had they been won, but he stayed on for 18 months to reclaim them down under. Ponting is one year younger now than Warne was in 2005 so this will not necessarily be his last Ashes series, but it will almost certainly be his last in England. So it's now or never for the man from Launceston to complete the ultimate cricketing CV, and it would take a brave punter to bet against him doing just that.

This article can also be seen at http://worldcricketwatch.com/ashes-2009/ashes-series-2009-the-captaincy-of-ricky-ponting/

Craig Wright retires from International Cricket

2009-06-11T17:48:00.001+01:00

Craig Wright, former Scotland cricket captain and one of the, if not the, most influential figures in Scottish cricket over the last decade has stepped down from international cricket. Craig was the figurehead and poster boy for Scottish cricket during the re branding to Scottish Saltires that came with inclusion in the English domestic one day set up and led the side to victory in the 2004 Intercontinental Cup and and 2005 ICC Trophy. It was under his watch that Cricket Scotland laid the groundwork for the side becoming the leading Associate nation and although poor showings of late have seen that position slide, Craig's personal contribution to the side in terms of experience, late order runs and most crucially his tight bowling and wicket taking ability countinued to be of the highest standard and cannot be underestimated. He will now concentrate on club duties with Greenock, coaching the Scotland u-17 and u-19 sides and his full time role as Cricket Scotland performance development manager. I'm sure all in Scottish Cricket would wish Craig all the best for the future and thank him for everything he has helped to achieve since his debut in 1997.

The full article can be found here http://www.cricketscotland.com/WrightRetires